."Probably no greater honor can come to any man than the respect of his colleagues." ~ Cary Grant.

We all have people we respect. I'm not talking here about respect for position, office or vocation but sincere respect for a person. Respect based on who they are, what they do and how they do it. For many this is the holy grail of life. Love is Nice (like chocolate). Family is always there (or should be). But respect? That comes down to another persons perception of us. Respect comes from others. Do we have any control over this? In business this elusive component creates bonds, influences decisions and strengthens relationships. But more than any of those, respect defies commoditization. ~ Respect is Priceless.

Many times a person will defer business decisions in favor of the character, behavior and traits they know rather than the potentially troublesome risk of the unknown. So how do we earn respect and thus weigh the scales of business in our favor? We listen and learn.

We ask questions and sincerely try to find out what ties people emotionally to their employees, their partners, their vendors and their associates. We ask ourselves - "What are the traits we respect in others?". Then we work on developing these traits.

Initially people will say that their business decisions are based on price, salary, support or service. But delve a little deeper and you will find there is so much more going on behind the scenes.

What's the most important ingredient to an exceptional business relationship? To any great relationship? Mutual Respect. Is Respect An Emotion? You Betcha. Respect drives us to follow people into places we would not normally go. Respect makes us not only listen, but listen with a different mindset. Respect evokes memories and feelings that last forever. Respect influences us to do and be what we might not without it. Respect causes us to defer our ego driven self and learn from those we've come to respect. Respect instills a sense of responsibility and accountability to others. Respect humbles us.